https://longeviquest.com/2025/03/longevity-in-the-land-of-ice-greenlands-oldest-people/

Longevity in the Land of Ice: Greenland’s Oldest People

Greenland, while not an independent country, is a captivating part of North America that belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark. As the world’s largest island—surpassing countries like Mexico in size—it remains largely uninhabited, with a population of just 56,000. This is largely due to its extreme climate and unforgiving environment, which make life there challenging.

Given these conditions, Greenland is not a place one would typically associate with extreme longevity. Yet, it’s precisely this rarity that makes it so interesting. Throughout its history, Greenland has had only a handful of documented centenarians, making these exceptional cases all the more fascinating. Today, we’ll delve into their stories and explore who currently holds the title of the island’s oldest living resident.

Malene Lund (1877 – 1979)

Greenland’s first documented centenarian was Karoline Malene Justine Haldora Lund (née Egede). She was born on 6 June 1877, in Narsaq, a town in the southern part of the island, to parents Johan Jacob Egede and Juliane Caroline Mariane Ravn. At some point, she married Henning Jakob Henrik Lund (1875–1948), also known as Intel’eraq. He was a lyricist, painter, and Lutheran pastor, most famous for composing the lyrics to “Nunarput, utoqqarsuanngoravit,” a song in the indigenous Greenlandic language, which was later adopted as the national anthem of Greenland. The couple had seven children and one foster daughter, with their first child, a son named Jakob, born in 1900.

In June 1977, she celebrated her 100th birthday, becoming the island’s first documented centenarian. She later became the first resident to reach the age of 101 as well. She passed away in Narsaq, on 27 January 1979, at the age of 101 years, 235 days.

Interestingly, her son, Adolf “Dolfe” Lund (20 June 1912 – 26 November 2010), lived to be 98. While this may not be considered extraordinary longevity on a global scale, at the time of his death, he may have been the oldest man ever in Greenland.

Charlotte Petersen (1907 – 2008)

Surprisingly, it wasn’t until 28 years later that another centenarian was documented in Greenland. This time, it was Charlotte Ane Karoline Louise Petersen. Born on 18 July 1907, in Qoornooq, Nuuk, Greenland, she was the daughter of Jonathan Petersen (1881–1961) and Marie Lynge (1882–1910).

Coincidentally, she also had a connection to Greenland’s national anthem, as her father was the composer of its music. In addition, he composed the music and lyrics for Greenland’s secondary national anthem, Nuna asiilasooq (“A Huge Rocky Land” in English). Her mother passed away when Charlotte was young, and her father later remarried. Charlotte never married and had no children. She moved into a nursing home at the age of 96. Fulfilling her wish to see Nuuk from above, Air Greenland took her on a helicopter ride over the city on her 100th birthday. She passed away in Nuuk on 15 August 2008, aged 101 years, 28 days.

Agnethe Fencker (1910 – 2013)

Following Petersen’s passing in 2008, 97-year-old Agnethe Fencker http://knr.gl/en/node/5841 1">succeeded her as the island’s oldest living resident. A few years later, she became Greenland’s next centenarian. Fencker was born Karen Margrethe Agnethe Markussen, on 24 October 1910. She was born in the town of Uummannaq, located in the Avannaata municipality in the central-western part of the island.

On her 100th birthday, she was residing in a retirement home in Ilulissat. The Qaasuitsup Municipality gifted her a picture of the icebergs off Ilulissat, as that was the view she enjoyed every day from her room at the retirement home. At the time, she expressed that she did not want much attention on her special day.

She passed away in April 2013, after becoming the first person in Greenland to reach the age of 102. To this day, she remains the island’s longevity record holder.

Anton Geisler (1919 – 2021)

Geisler was born in the now abandoned settlement of Aamaruutissat (Skansen) in the municipality of Qeqertalik, on 21 February 1919. At the age of 18, Geisler began working at a shop in Maamorilik, Qaasuitsup. He then worked as a cook aboard the ship Tulla and later as a waiter in the village of Ivittuut. Geisler moved to Denmark, where he trained to become a baker. In 1952, after completing his education, he returned to Ilulissat and took a job at the town’s bakery, where he worked until the early 1970s. He then opened a coffee bar, which eventually became his residence.

https://www.sermitsiaq.ag/node/20328 4">In 2018, he shared, “I would like to work as long as I can, as I fear I will become stagnant if I stop working. But I know that at some point, I will need to stop.” In February 2019, Geisler celebrated his 100th birthday, becoming Greenland’s first known male centenarian. He continued working in his shop every day from 2 to 9 PM https://knr.gl/en/node/23215 9">until his retirement in June 2020, at the age of 101. His remarkable longevity and continued work earned him significant local media attention. He passed away in Ilulissat on 28 February 2021, at the age of 102 years, 7 days.

Jørgen Kleemann (1923 – 2023)

The next centenarian after Geisler was surprisingly another man. Jørgen “Juulut” Ole Markus Rasmus Kleemann was born on 7 March 1923, in the village of Aappilattoq, Municipality of Avannaata. He was a well-known accordion player. Kleemann began publishing his music in 1980, and it was later distributed on cassette tapes, CDs, and records. He collaborated on several projects with his son, Sejer Kleemann. In 2001, he was awarded the Greenland Medal for Meritorious Service, the highest honor in Greenland. He also received the Naalakkersuisut’s Cultural Prize in 2014 for his contributions to music and theatre, a prestigious recognition in the country.

Kleemann passed away peacefully in his sleep on 11 May 2023, in Ippiarsuk, Nuuk, at the age of 100 years and 65 days.

Who is the Island’s Oldest Resident at Present?

Since Kleemann’s passing in 2023, there have been no new reports of any centenarians on the island. With only five documented centenarians to date, it’s clear that such milestones are rare in Greenland. However, the Grønlands Statistik website annually releases information on the island’s demographics, including data on the number of people by age, the number of deaths, ages at death, and more.

The full statistics for 2024 have recently been released, revealing that a 99-year-old woman passed away in Nuuk in April 2024. Based on the quarterly population report by age, it is likely that this lady passed away shortly after turning 99 (born January-March 1925). The report also indicates that she was likely succeeded by a man from Maniitsoq, who turned 99 in the third quarter of 2024 (July-September). However, he most likely passed away by the end of the year, as he is not included in the statistics for January 2025.

According to the latest data as of 1 January 2025, the oldest living residents are two individuals born in 1928—one is a woman living in Nuuk, and the other is a man living in Qeqertarsuaq. Both of them appear to have been born between 2 January and 31 March 1928.